Mahsi, Mr. Chair. Yes, the budget has been talked about this afternoon, the $6.5 million that is there before us and we are working with it. Once it’s approved by this Assembly, we will move along with renovating those schools as highlighted.
Costs to the French schools that the Member alluded to is not there yet. We have some figures that were brought to our attention, but that figure could change once the court decision happens. So, we are currently waiting for that to happen so we can prepare ourselves as the Department of Education, Culture and Employment. Not only that, but working with PWS, because it has to be a coordinated approach, and working with the school board as well.
The JK renovations, we’ve been working very closely with the 23 schools where we are delivering JK programming. There are some areas that needed some minor facelifts, upgrades, that we are dealing with in our department. This 2015-16 is earmarked for $400,000 just to capture some
upgrades that need to happen that we may not have funds identified within our department, almost half a million.
The Trout Lake school, I am fully aware of that. The committee requested a stand-alone school. We are currently doing renovations to Charles Tetcho School that would capture some of the spacing required at this time, today. When we talk about a stand-alone school, there is a process in place. Obviously it won’t happen next year, but there has to be a planning phase where a planning study needs to happen. That is part of our long-term plan, as I indicated in this House. We are moving forward on that and we will be engaging the committee leadership to hear their input as well. We’ve heard their input and now we need to engage with them even further.
Aurora College has been brought up as well. We are currently working with the college, the Board of Governors, on short-term and long-term plans. The main campuses, the 23 campuses, how can we best utilize the space that is required as well.
The safe schools, obviously there is a PA system that needs to be upgraded as part of the budget that has been highlighted. Part of that will be the lockdown, as the Member alluded to. That will be the PA upgrade in cases where there are issues at the community school level, so it is announced within the school system. Not all schools have a PA system. There has to be some sort of mechanism. Mr. Chair, those are some investments that we want to do into some of the schools that may not have the PA system or those that are outdated, to upgrade them as well. Mahsi.